Shoe-closure.



A SNEVA.

SHOE CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20. 1917.

1 %94L, Patented ,Feb. 18,1919.

ALAI SNEVA, OZ mvrma COUNT, NORTH E. A. SNEVA, or GOUNTY or D.AKOTA,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH T0 DIVIDE, NORIH DAKOIA.

"SHOE-CLOSURE.

Specificaten of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919) Application i1ed April 20, 1917. Serial No.163,425.

Be it known that I, ADLAI SNEVA, a c1tmen of the United States, residingin the c0unty of Divide and State of N orth Dakota, have inventedcertain new and useful ImprOvements in ShoeClosures; and I do herebydeolare the following to'be a full, clear, and exact description Of theinvention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe closures.

The objeot of this invention is the provision of a shoe closure whichWill obviate the necessity of the use of lacings and buttons, and bymeans of which the open front side of the shoe may be efiectiveIy closedagainst the admission of Water, snow or the Iike.

A stil1 further object of this invention is the provision of meansvvhereby the upper may be brought into and held in snug and comfortableengagement with the ankles.

A still further object ofthis invention is the provision of a shoeclosure which Will materiaily add to the appearance of the shoe and alsoone that Will secured about the ankle and upon the foot of the user.

A still iurther object of this invention is the provision of a shoeclosure of this character Which will be simple, practical andcomparatively inexpensive in construction and one that can bemanufactured and sold at a low cost. With these and other objects inview the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter more fuHy described and set forth in the claims heretoappended.

In t e draWing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a shoe constructed in accordancewith my inventron,

Fig. is a similar View in side elevation 1Hus trat1ng the opposite sideof theshoe,

Fig. 3 1s a front eIevation illustrating the shoe in open position, and

ig. 4 is a plan view of the buckle retainifig strap which is secured toone side of the s oe. v

Litre numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 1 designates thevamp and tially V-shaped be easily and quickly- 2 the upper of the shoeconstructed in accordance With my invention, the upper comprising thesides 3 and 4. 4 1 The closure comprises the inner member 5 and outermember 6 and they are secured'to the sides 3' and 4 of the upper 2 WhichWill be hereinafter more fully described.

he inner closure 5 is substahtialiy tri angular and is secured by .oneside edge to the ';Eorward free edge of the side of the upper 2 as at 7by suitabie stitches 8 the apex being secured to the vamp as at 9 andthe inner closure is adapted to be forced inwardiy against and about theankle and snugly conformed thereto.

The outer closure 6 comprises a substan portion which is secured b itsbase to the edge of the side 4 per 2 by suitable stitches 9 and it isseoured to the vamp as at 10 and the apex 11 of the outer closure 6 isextended to provide the tongue 12Which is provided with spaced openings13.

A buck1e retaining strap 14 has a tapered medial portion 15 and islooped back upon itself at its medial portion on the line 16 and themedia1 portion 15 is provided centraily With an opening 17 adapted toreceive therethrough the tongue of the buckle 12, thus the buckle Willbe secured between the bent back portions of the securing strap 14 theedges of the strap 14 being stitched together as at 18 and the same lineof stitches also securing it to the vamp of the shoe as at 19.

The buckle retaining strap 14 is secured to one side of the shoe withits medial por tien inclining upwtrdiy and rearwardly thus positioningthe buckle in diagonal plane from the rear medial portion of the upper,thus it may be seen that when the outer closure strap is carried aroundthe shoe it Will engage the rear ortion of the upper ad jacent the upperede thereof and extend downwardly and incline in the direction of thelower portion of the shoe and in the direction and plane of the buckleso that it may be securely fastened in the buckle and the tongue of thebuckle passing through the openings 13 in the strap 12 of the outerclosure 6 thus efiectivey and snugly securing the upper about the ankleof the user.

.To give the outer member 6 a curvature conforming to the configurationof the ankle, this member is substantiafly V-shaped of the up-

